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Sunday, September 5, 2010

WOW! It HAS been a while....

So now I am halfway through my chemo, by this time next week I will be two thirds of the way through. (Trust me it helps to think that way)!

I am mostly doing okay. The week after chemo is "unpleasant" to say the least. My Doctors were a bit baffled as to why I am suffering so much from nausea, when they give me enough anti-nausea meds to fell an elephant... until they found out that during my pregnancy with The Brat, I was actually hospitalised with Morning Sickness. Apparently that's an indication that I am pre-disposed to nausea, so they add a little something extra to my prescription each session. Monster Yuppy has been incredibly generous, with advice and time and some magic cream to take away the pain of the needles. Many thanks! I have also had some luck with something a little "less prescribed" shall we say. Thank you my friends, you know who you are....

After the first week my main difficulty is with tiredness. I'm struggling a little bit at work, but given I am now out of accrued leave, I don't have a lot of choice. I still need to work. Some days the boss is fantastic, other days not so much. I am trying to ignore the less fantastic days. I have found that if I let things get to me, a meltdown is inevitable and invariably unpleasant, so I try not to stress. Having The Brat out of work for a while has added to the stress, but thankfully that situation is now resolved.

I also get terribly hot.... gently perspiring buckets, regardless of the actual ambient temperature. Annoying, but not fatal, though now Spring has sprung I am dreading the inevitable warmer temperatures. My skin is also suffering, the slightest bump results in bruising or blood blisters, and a minor burn takes weeks and weeks to heal. I have still got a mark on my forearm from the tape used after a pre-chemo blood test nearly six weeks ago, as well as a bruise from the actual treatment around the same time. And rashes....

The week before chemo is better, I feel almost normal, though still tire easily. And I eat! My weight goes up and down, some weeks I can barely eat, the week before chemo I shove everything that's not nailed down, into my mouth at every opportunity. Ain't side effects fun? : )

I am making an effort not to hide away (tempting as it is), but still try to get out and see friends, even if it's just for a quick coffee. My new look is a hit, and I LOVE seeing the looks on people's faces when they see me as a blonde for the first time. Even my sister did a double-take when she saw me earlier this week! The wig can get uncomfortable, but I went shopping with Mum and my sister on Friday night, and we have added some scarves and turbans and little bits and pieces to my repertoire, and today I will take them to Mum's and practice tying scarves and experimenting with different looks.

All in all I'm doing okay. I have my moments obviously, and if you follow me on twitter you're more likely to know when those moments occur. I do a little bit of whinging over there, and I thank you my friends for putting up with it! I still check in to the blogs I follow, but mostly just lurk. Sometimes it's an effort even to comment. I apologise for that, but know that I'm still around...

I WILL try to be a bit more diligent about updating at both of my blogs, but no promises. As always, thanks for your love and support!

YD - you're right, in my darkest periods I wonder EXACTLY that, and even if it's all worth the effort. Luckily those periods don't last long!

Nat - There are some GORGEOUS Scarves around. Picked up one in grays and oranges, absolutely stunnung, and it turns out I'm NOT totally useless a tying them, Though I might still look for these websites of which you speak...

Moko - LOL! Given there's only me and The Boss, both Catholic, I doubt he'd believe it!